Steam separator



W. L. KISLING STEAM SEPARATOR June 19, 1951 Filed May 20, 1950 INVENTOR.

WILUAM L. KISLING flf/Wf/Vf/U Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES'ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in steam separators, and moreparticularly to a combined steam-drying and water-separating deviceutilized for the purpose of relieving a flow of steam from suspendedparticles of condensate, under virtually any condition wherein asubstantially dry steam is needed or desired.

This applicant is aware of the numerous steamwater separation devicesheretofore devised, but most or all of which, of earlier designs,function with only indifferent success. Many such earlier devices are ofso-called dry-pipe type; others involve arrangements of baflles, manyothers rely upon a centrifugal principle for separation of entrainedheavier water particles from a flow of steam. The present invention hasas its principal object, the realization of a steam drying andseparating device which, while being of simple construction, willovercome the shortcomings of such older separators and will act toremove from a flow of steam all suspended particles of condensate, andat the same time will re-heat the steam as it leaves the separator.These objects are reflected in the operative result that the steamleaving the separator is hot, dry, moisture free and in a condition mosteflicient for utilization whether for heating or in mechanical steamconsuming apparatus. The device may be employed at any location in asteam line, in some cases built into and as a part of a steam boiler orgenerator; for other fields of usage it may be installed in a steam lineas such at any desired location between the source of steam supply suchas a boiler, and steam consuming apparatus. In

other fields of adaptation the device may be utilized just ahead of oras a part of a steam-consuming unit or plurality thereof.

'A further general and important objective of the present devise isrealized in a steam separator involving improved relative locations ofsteam inlet, steam discharge and condensate removal elements within theseparator, in such an arrangement that it is practically impossible fora flow of steam entering the separator to entrain liquid particles as itleaves the unit. This result is accomplished by relatively remote andvertically spaced steam inlet and steam outlet zones within theseparator, together with an advantageous heat-exchange relation betweeninlet and discharge steam lines within the separator, so as to produceanoptimum heating effect on the outgosuch that the device isinexpensive, compact, durable, characterized by absence of any necessityfor moving parts and which maybe formed entirely of readily availablestock materials vir-" tually without special tooling of any kind.

The development may perhaps best be summarized by reference to theexample currently selected for disclosure, which involves a preferablyhorizontal, elongate, tubular casing or steam drum provided with caps,plugs or the like end closures. Medially of a lower portion of the drumis provided a steam inlet fitting through which a steam supply line iscontinued internally of the drum in a horizontal direction, thence in avertical direction into a vertical tubular extension or stack, thelatter being closed at its upper or' outer end, and the incoming steamflow acting against the closed end of the stack so as to utilize same asa bafile.

drum is chambered, there being provided in one end thereof remote fromthe stack, an outlet or dry steam discharge chamber, from the upper endof which is supplied the steam discharge line internally of the drum.Such line is continued horizontally along the uppermost portion andinternally of the drum, thence upwardly clear through the stack. Thehorizontal portions of the inlet steam line and the discharge steam lineare, in the disclosed example, parallel and adjacent as are the verticalportions of the respective lines within the stack. Condensate disposalis provided for by a fitting in the lower portion of the drum, incommunication with a trap or other condensate removal device.

The objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appearfrom the following detailed description of a selected, currentproduction Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view'as taken 7 alongline3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view as taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, a preferablyhorizontal drum element of seamless steel or like tubing is generallyindi- The otherwise open ends of the cated at It. tubular element, whichfor convenience may be The stack is by preference" located at or nearone end of the drum. The

considered as of circular section, are closed as by end caps and I2which may be threaded, or as shown, will usually be welded inpressure-tight relation to the ends of the tube l0.

Projecting vertically above one end portion of the drum I is a riser orstack structure I3 which may be formed of a length of seamless tubing orthe like, and. which like the drum, is characterized by wall elements ofsuch gauge and tensile characteristics as to resist substantial steampressures. The length of tubing l3 constituting the stack is welded, asindicated by the fillets H, to the drum Ill, the latter being providedwith an aperture i5 substantially coincidental with the inside diameterof the stack. Other weldin zones are indicated by the same referencecharacter. At the upper or outer end of the stack is a suitable fittingwhich may be considered as a reducer l6 and which may readily engage theouter end of the stack as at 20, and which is also provided with anupper reduced-diameter portion 2| provided with internal threads 22, forconvenience of attachment to the discharge line leading to thesteam-consuming apparatus.

Preferably about midway between the ends of the drum I0, is an inletfitting 23 preferably provided with internal threads for convenience ofattachment to the incoming steam supply line or which may be directlyconnected to a boiler or steam generator, as desired, a pipe or nipple24 being shown as a part of a supply line. The fitting 23 may be weldedinto assembly with the drum, and the latter provided with an opening 25through which extends a nipple 26 constituting a short vertical riserportion of the steam inlet line generally designated at 21. Thehorizontal length of the inlet or supply line 21 Within the drum, ispreferably located about axially of that portion of the drum Ill overwhich it extends. In larger sizes of separators, added support for thesteam inlet tubing is provided by a bridge piece in the form of a bar 30to which is attached an inverted U-shaped pipe clamp 3| in any suitablemanner. Beyond the bracket 303|, the horizontal portion of the steaminlet line 21, designated at 32, is extended vertically to form a risersection 33 projected upwardly into and extending preferably over thegreater portion of the length or height of the stack l3. The steam inletline is provided with an open outlet end or port 34 a short distancebelow a closure disc 35. This latter is for convenience assembled as aninsert within the fitting I6, and serves to complete the closure of theupper end of the stack except for a pipe opening 36 for the steamdischarge line, as will later be described. However, it is to be notedthat the chamber within the stack I3 is, as such, sealed 01f from directcommunication with the discharge line.

Proceeding now to a description of the steam discharge provisions, it ispreferred, particularly in the separator units of larger capacity andsize, to provide a partial isolation of the dry-steam discharge regionof the separator. In the device shown, this effect is attained through apartition or internal wall member 31. This plate element, with the endcap |2 of the drum I0, forms a dry steam chamber 40, from the upperportion of which is directed the steam discharge line generallyindicated at 4|. The partition 31, if the drum Ill be of circularsection, will be of a general circular plan as shown, and may be eitherapertured at its lower portion, or frustrate as indicated at 42, so asto permit the free transfer of condensate between the chamber 40 and thelarger chamber 43 within the drum. The upper portion of the partition 31is provided with a pipe opening 44, the diameter of which is preferablysuch as to correspond closely to the outside diameter of the inlet endof the piping constituting the discharge line 4|. Thus if desired theplate 31 may be positioned within the drum through a driving fit of thedisc 31 over the end of the line 4|. It may as desired, be welded inplace in the drum, prior to assembly of the end cap |2.

By preference the upper region of the partition member 3? is providedwith steam apertures 45, these being arranged as shown, one at each sideof the pipe aperture 44 which is in the uppermost portion of the member31.

The discharge line has its open inlet end or port indicated at 46,thence extends horizontally along the drum I0 in its uppermost region,as indicated by the horizontal pass 41. This latter is continued to theregion of the stack [3, and thence extends vertically through a section50 throughout the length of the stack, the pipe 50 being extendedthrough and sealed into the opening 36 in the closure plate 35, beyondwhich it is directed into the steam line 48 to the consuming unit.

It will be noted that in keeping with present preference, the dischargeline 4| specifically the length of tubing 46, extends over substantiallythe greater portion of the length of the drum, and in fact may ifdesired, include several connected horizontal passes of the tubing onlyone of which is shown at 41. Regardless of the extent of the line 4|within the chamber 43, it is preferred that the final portion thereof bebrought in close parallel adjacence to the portion 32 of the steam inletline, so as to provide for a heating efiect of the outgoing steam, bythe incoming steam. For the same reason it is greatly preferred asshown, that the portion of the inlet and discharge lines within thestack, and respectively indicated at 33 and 50, be in close paralleladjacence. It is preferred that the diameter hence the volume of thestack I3, be considerably smaller than that of the drum ID so as tominimize the space within the stack about the tubing 33 and 50.

Condensate disposal may be cared for by any conventional or othersuitable apparatus, but for completeness of present disclosure it may benoted as including a drain opening 5| directed into a fitting 52 weldedto a lower portion of the drum preferably just below the stack l3.Fitting 52 serves as a connection for a drain line 53 directed to a trap54 or other selected condensate disposal means. The remanent heat valuesof the condensate may be utilized through suitable exchange apparatus(not shown) for heating of incoming feed Water to the boiler orgenerator, or otherwise as desired.

Although the functional aspects of the device are thought to have becomefully apparent from the foregoing description of its parts, it may benoted for completeness that steam from the boiler or other source entersthe supply line through elements 2426 and thence while hot, is projectedupwardly through the pipe 32-33 into the steam chamber within the stackl3, and is discharged with considerable impact against the plate 35functioning as a baiflle. The direction of flow is thus changed degrees,being reversed in the upper portion of the stack, through which actionthe heavy water particles will atonce fall to the zone immediately belowthe stack, which, with advantage, is the location of the condensatedrain opening Through the elements just referred to, the steam will beseparated from a-substantial proportion of its entrainedwater'particles. Following this first phase of separation, the nowpartially dried steam will flow lengthwise, or to the right (Fig. 2)into the dry steam chamber 40 through openings 45 and at times,depending upon current condensate levels,through the port defined by therelieved lower portion of the partition 31. This relatively rapid flowof steam through the partition, will result in a certain furtherseparating efiect by reason -of the baffle action of the partition, itbeing noted that theopen ings 45 may be made smaller and utilized" ingreater number to the extent found necessary in a particular field ofusage. Any remaining condensate particles finding their way into thechamber 40, will be thrown down in such chamber incident to the 180degree reversal of steam flow as same encounters the end cap I2 andreturn to the inlet of the discharge line, so that only a relatively drysteam will be taken oil from the upper portion of chamber 40. Thus fromthis chamber, the steam is directed through the long hot horizontal pass41, which is kept in the upper portion of the drum. The flow of steam isthen continued outwardly via the vertical riser 50 through therelatively hot stack chamber, it being noted that the heating action onthe steam in traversin the line 4! will exhibit a still further dryingeffect. It may be also noted as desirable under certain conditions, toprovide for a slight upward slope of the line 41 so that this linedrains back into the chamber 40 and any last vestige of moisture removedthrough the cutaway portion of the partition at the bottom of the drum.

It may be noted that the present device embodies certain of theprinciples of the structure disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent No.2,- 071,128, issued to this applicant February 16, 1937, and entitledSteam Separator and Superheater.

A single embodiment of the invention has been described in substantialdetail; the detail of description should however be understood as beinginformative, rather than being presented in any restrictive or limitingsense, numerous variants of the structure being recognized as possiblewithin the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a steam drier and separator unit for location in a steam linebetween a steam source and a zone of steam consumption, an elongatehorizontal drum, a vertical stack open at its lower end into an upperportion of the drum, a steam supply line directed into the drum, thenceover a substantial portion of the length of the drum, thence upwardlyover the major part of the length of the stack but short of the upperend of the stack so as to discharge steam into said upper end, a closurefor the upper end of the stack, located across and in bafiling relationto the delivery end of said steam supply line, a partition elementwithin the drum and in an end region thereof remote from the stack, asteam discharge line having an open end on the side of said partitionopposite the stack, thence extending along an upper portion of the drum,thence upwardly into the stack substantially parallel and close to thedelivery end of the steam supply line in the stack, thence outwardlythrough the stack closure, said partition serving to form with the drum,a chamber adjacent the inlet end of the steam discharge line, andcondensate disposal means'including a condensate drain fittingsubestantially remote, in a direction along the. drum, from the saidpartition and discharge line inlet, 2. In a steam separator and drier,an elongate steam drum formedand arranged as a horizontal tubularelement, a steam inlet fitting located intermediate the length of thedrum, inlet tubing structure internally of the drum and extendedsomewhat upwardly of said fitting andv the bot tomof, thence along thedrum, thence extended upwardly and terminating in an open end, avertical, tubular stack element adjacent one end of and open into thedrum, the stack element enclosing the discharge end of the said steaminlet tubing, the upper end of the stack being provided with atransverse closure element, a steam discharge line of tubing with anopen intake end in the region of the drum remote from said stack, atransverse partition constituting a support for the inlet end of thesteam discharge tubing, th partition being apertured to provide for arestricted steam transfer between the spaces separated by saidpartition, but serving as a baflle between such spaces, the partitionhaving a bottom opening to permit a flow of condensate between thespaces separated by the partition, the said line of discharge tubingextending from the partition substantially along and over a major partof the uppermost portion of the drum, thence extending upwardly into andthrough the full length of the stack, thence outwardly through the stackclosure of the stack to supply the steam line beyond the separator, asteam trap located below the separator, a I condensate connection in alower portion of the drum, and tubing between said condensate connectionand trap, those portions of the steam inlet tubing and the steamdischarge tubing within the drum and stack, extending in adjacence toeach other substantially over the full length of the inlet tubing,whereby to promote heat exchange between the tubing,

3. In a steam separator and drier, an elongate steam drum arranged forsubstantially horizontal mounting, and formed as a tubular element ofcircular section, a steam inlet fitting located at the bottom of andintermediate the length of the drum, inlet tubing structure internallyof the drum and extended somewhat upwardly of said fitting and thebottom of the drum, thence along the drum, thence upwardly andterminating in an open end, a vertical, tubular stack element adjacentone end of the drum and opening at its lower end into said drum, thestack element enclosing the discharg end of the said steam inlet tubing,the upper end of the stack being provided with a transverse closureelement, a reducer serving to secure the closure in assembly on theupper end of the stack and providing a discharge fitting for connectionof a steam line beyond the separator; a steam discharge line identifiedwith tubing having its origin with an open intake end adjacent the endof the drum remote from said stack, a partition structure arrangedtransversely of the last said end of the drum, and constituting asupport for the inlet end of the steam discharge tubing, the partitionbeing further apertured to provide for a restricted steam transferbetween the spaces separated by said partition, but serving as a bafilebetween such spaces, the partition having a bottom opening to permit thefree movement of condensate between the spaces separated by thepartition, the partition, drum walls and inlet end of the discharge linebeing arranged to define a discharge chamber at one end of the drum andto compel-a l80 'degree change--in-direction of "steam flow within thedischarge chamber,- the said line of discharge tubing extending from thepartition Substantially along the uppermost portion of the drum, andover the major portionfof the length thereof, thence extending upwardlyinto and through the full lengthofthe stack/thence outwardlythroughtheclosure of the stack into said reducer'to supply the'steam'line beyond-theseparator, a steam trap located below'thseparator, 11 condensate connection in a lower portion of theseparatoranddrum, and immediately-below said stack, and tubing betweensaid -condehsate connection and trap, the final portions of the steaminlet tubing-andthe steam'disch'arge tubing extending inelose paralleladjacence lnthe staick,'whereby to promote-heat exchange therebetween.

-WILJiI-AIVI 'L. KESLING.

8 7 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file0f this patent:

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